When is a case cleared?

Oct. 28, 2012

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Burglaries are hard to solve, and it’s also difficult to tell exactly how well Springfield Police have done over the years.

That’s because up until last year, the way Springfield and the FBI measured what are known as “clearances” were different.

According to the FBI, in order for an agency to consider a case cleared it must arrest an individual, charge the individual with the commission of the offense and turn the individual over to court for prosecution. All three conditions must be met.

Springfield’s clearance rate for burglaries rose steadily between 2003 and 2010, from about 9.1 percent to 20.7 percent. That’s better than the national average for cities between 100,000-250,000. (Springfield’s population is approximately 160,000.)

Clearance rates for burglaries in that group averaged 11 percent in 2010, the most recent year data is available.

Despite apparent increasing success, in 2011 the rate dropped suddenly, from 20.7 percent to 13.6 percent. Police Chief Paul Williams said the department’s tallying of crimes — including clearance rates — through the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system, or UCR, is audited on an annual basis.

Auditors noticed that up until 2011, the department had been counting cases as cleared if they were presented to the prosecutor’s office. That does not meet the FBI threshhold of charges actually being filed, not just presented to prosecutors for possible filing.

“We argued with the UCR folks, but they were very adamant that that was how it needs to be done,” Williams said.

A case can also be cleared by “exceptional means,” which happens when a law enforcement agency, for reasons beyond its control, cannot arrest and charge an offender. For agencies to clear a case by “exceptional means,” four conditions must be met. The department must have:

• Identified the offender

• Gathered enough evidence to support an arrest, make a charge and turn over the offender to the court for prosecution

• Identified the offender’s exact location so that the suspect could be taken into custody immediately

• Encountered a circumstance outside the control of law enforcement that prohibits the agency from arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender

A common example of a case being cleared by “exceptional means” is if a suspected offender dies.